Delhi High Court rejects NIA’s preliminary objection to maintainability of plea challenging arrest of UNLF (P) cadres | Delhi News
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday rejected the preliminary objection raised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding the maintainability of the petition filed by three cadres of the United National Liberation Front (P) challenging their arrest and remand orders for waging war against the state in the backdrop of Manipur’s ethnic violence. The high court also held that in matters concerning personal liberty, it is “never just or proper to reject a plea based on a pedantic, hyper-technical” approach. Based on a July 19, 2023, FIR, NIA arrested the self-styled army chief of the organisation Thokchom Shyamjai Singh, its intelligence officer Laimayum Anand Sharma, and a driver Salam Ibomcha Meitei on March 13. The three are facing charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal conspiracy and waging war against the state, as well as for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. NIA has alleged that the three are involved in raising funds for UNLF through extortion, as well as recruiting cadres and procuring weapons to incite violence in Manipur. Notably, the …